Device for cutting leads of electrical components



1959 A. J. PORTER ETAL 2,898,997

DEVICE FOR CUTTING LEADS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS Filed April 29, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet l 1-1,, 1 959 A. J. PORTER ET AL 2,898,997

DEVICE FOR CUTTING LEADS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS Filed April 29, 1957 3Sheets-Sheet 2 //VVIV 7085 A. J. P01? 75/? L 0. RE/Cl/EL T 1959 A. J.PORTER ET AL 2,898,997

DEVICE F OR CUTTING LEADS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS Filed April 29, 19575 Sheets-Sheet 5 I/NVE/VTORS A. J P01? 75/? z. 0. fnE/CHELT f/am UnitedStates Patent DEVICE F OR CUTTING LEADS OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS J.Porter, Minneapolis, Minn., and Lester O. Reichelt, Downers Grove, Ill.,assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., acorporation of New York Application April 29, 1957, Serial No. 655,898

1 Claim. (Cl. 16447) This invention relates to a device for cutting theleads of toroidal coils to predetermined lengths.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and eifectivedevice for cutting the leads of electrical coils and other components topredetermined lengths.

A device illustrating certain features of the invention may include acradle which is pivotally mounted on a support for holding a toroidalcoil, and a pair of cutters carried on arms which are individuallyadjustably mounted on the support to vary the distance between thecutters and the cradle in accordance with the length of coil leadsdesired. The cutters are operated by fluid actuators mounted on the armsand connected to a compressed air line through a solenoid operated valvewhich is controlled by a mercury switch mounted in the cradle.Graduations. on the arms facilitate adjusting the cutters to the properpositions after which a toroidal coil is placed in the cradle and theleads are drawn taut and placed in the cutters and then pulled to tiltthe cradle and trip the switch to effect the actuation of the cuttersand the shearing of the coil leads.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will become apparent byreference to the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof, in which Fig. 1is a plan view of a device for cutting the leads of toroidal coils;

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the devicetaken along line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view of a toroidal coil, the leads of which are to be cut toa predetermined length by the present device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cradle of the device;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device taken along line55 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an end view of the device showing the cutters thereof.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicatesa toroidal coil having a pair of leads 11 which may be cut individuallyto predetermined lengths in the present lead cutting device 15 prior tothe coil 10 being assembled into electrical apparatus. The device 15comprises a base 16 having a block or head 17 thereon which has a recess18 for receiving a cradle or coil holder 20. The cradle is pivotallysupported on a pin 21 and comprises a hollow body portion 23 withdiverging side walls or wings 24 and an end wall 25 extending upwardlytherefrom. A toroidal coil 10 is supported in the cradle as shown inFig. 2 with the leads 11 extending substantially parallel therefromthrough a pair of notches 26 in the end Wall. A leaf spring 27 securedto the cradle by rivets 28 extends downwardly into engagement with thehead 17 and urges the cradle in a counterclockwise direction about thepivot pin 21. Movement of the cradle about the pin 21 is limited by apin 30 which is secured to the head 2,898,997 Patented Aug. 11, 1959 ice17 and has one end thereof projecting into a slot or recess 31 in theend of the body portion 23 of the cradle. A mercury switch 32 is securedin the hollow body portion 23 of the cradle with suitable casting resinsor molding compounds and the switch and the cradle are yieldablymaintained in a normal substantially horizontal position in which theswitch is open. The switch 32 is actuated to closed position in responseto upward pivotal movement of the cradle.

Portions of the leads 11 extending from a toroidal coil 10 in the'cradle20 are placed in grooves 34 in a pair of supporting members or blocks 35and between stationary and movable shear blades 36 and 37, respectively,of a pair of lead cutters 38 mounted on the supporting members 35. Thesemembers 35 are supported slidably on the base 16 and are secured to apair of arms 40 in the form of tubes which extend through apertures 41in the head 17 and are adjustable horizontally to vary the distancebetween the cutters 38 and the cradle 20. The arms 40' have graduations42 thereon which cooperate with the head to indicate the distancebetween the cutters 38 and cradle 20 and also the length of the coilleads 11 after being cut in the device. After the cutters 38 areadjusted to the desired positions, the arms 40 are locked to the head 16by lock screws 43.

The movable shear blades 37 of the cutters 38 (Fig. 6) are carried bypiston rods 45 of pistons reciprocable in cylinders 47 to fluidactuators 48 mounted on the supporting blocks 35 for operating thecutters. The fluid actuators are air actuated in one direction andspring returned and have flexible tubes 49 connected to a compressed airsupply line 50 through a valve 51 (Fig. 1). The 'valve is electricallyactuated by a solenoid 52 which is connected to a source of power (notshown) and controlled by the mercury switch 32.

When it is desired to cut the leads 11 of toroidal coils 10 topredetermined lengths, the cutters 38 are adjusted relative to the head16 to their proper positions as indicated by the graduations 42 on thearms 40 thereof, and the lock screws 43 are tightened to lock thecutters 38 in position. A coil 10 is then placed in the cradle 20 andthe leads 11 are guided through the notches 36 therein and arepositioned in the grooves 34 of the blocks 35 and between the blades 36,37 of the cutters 38. The ends of the leads 11 beyond the cutters 38 arepulled by the operator to move the coil 10 to the right as viewed inFig. 1 and rock the cradle 20 upwardly about the pivot 21. This tiltsthe mercury switch 32 to closed position to effect the shifting of thevalve 51 and the actuation of the cutters 38 to shear the leads 11 tothe desired length. As soon as the ends of the leads 11 have been outed, the cradle 20 drops to its normal position and actuates the switch32 to effect the shutting off of the air to the fluid actuators 48 andthe return of the cutters 38 to their normal open positions.

The cradle 20 may be shaped to hold various types of coils or otherelectrical components having leads which may be cut to predeterminedlengths in the present device. The control switch 32 may also take otherforms than the mercury switch shown herein for actuating the controlcircuit in response to movement of the cradle to its differentpositions.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are simplyillustrative of the application of the principles of this invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

In a device for cutting coil leads to predetermined a plurality ofcutters having shear blades for severing 'the'coil leads, aplurality'ofsupportingxmembers, one for each cutter mounted slidablyon'the base for supporting theicuttersatvarious distances from thecradles and having grooves therein for supporting the coil leads betweenthe shear blades of the cutters, a plurality of fluid actuators, one foreach lead cutter, mounted on the supporting members'for actuatingthecutters, arms extending between the supporting members and the head forguiding the supporting members for movement toward and from the head,graduations on the arms for 4 indicating the lengths of the leadsbetween the cradles and the cutters, and control means includinga-switch operable in response to movement of the cradle to its shearingposition for rendering the actuators operative to actuate the cuttersand shear the coil leads.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,288,402 Gale Dec. 17, 1918 1,447,735 Simone Mar. 6, 1923 1,772,170Uttz Aug. 5, 1930 1,919,652 Helsel July 25, 1933 1,965,110 Smith July 3,1934 2,776,481 Northcutt Jan. 8, 1957

